Copy Cat
by Tomorrow
Summary: Heero and his little boy are on their way to pick up Relena, when Heero's favorite song comes on the radio: "... the child's father appeared unfazed by the drastic decibel hike-- Save for his index finger that tapped against the steering wheel..."


AN: This little thing keeps popping in my head every time I hear this song. Cute silliness. This is my sad attempt at humor/cuteness… so please don't be too harsh. Also, I wrote it in this style for a reason (more formal) to hopefully add to the humor, since much of it has to do with word choice and situation. The formatting is a little off (there's some extra spacing between song lines that I didn't want), so I apologize for that. Thanks, everyone.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Gundam Wing_, "Danger Zone," or "Welcome to the Jungle."

The sticky little hand, dripping with rapidly gushing, milky lava from a vanilla-and-waffle-wrapped volcano, wiped at its owner's lips as he smacked them together after another lick. Satisfied that no precious drop of white, sweet, melted goodness was lost, five-year-old Liam Peacecraft-Darlian-Yuy sneaked a look at his father from behind his messy (and now gooey) blonde bangs: his right hand dangled over the steering wheel, while his left elbow was perched on the window edge. But Heero wore a bored expression, stared straight ahead as he navigated the sleek black vehicle through the bustling streets of Cinq.

The child giggled, and some more of the liquefying treat dribbled down his chin.

Taking another gluttonous heap of ice cream on his tongue, Liam lifted his head to notice the traffic signal up-ahead turning yellow, only vaguely aware of the last few, fading lyrics from the radio.

"… Watch it bring you to your

knees, knees  
In the jungle  
Welcome to the jungle  
Watch it bring you to your  
It' gonna bring you down--HA!"

His Prussian blue eyes squinted in confusion at the words, delivered by such a grating voice. As the car gradually came to a stop, however, his momentary bafflement gave way to a slue of more pleasant, sporadic thoughts, while he lapped at the insides of his cheeks to salvage the lingering sweetness.

I'd like to go to the jungle, someday. I like tigers--they're so cool, with black stripes and those teeth. Roar! Growl! Tee-hee. Oh! And monkeys! I like monkeys! They make funny faces and can swing around with their tails like uncle Trowa on the trapeze…

A jerk registered in the corner of his eye.

That's when he saw his dad's eyes flicker towards the stereo, watched as Heero reached for the dial and cranked the volume to its max, only to settle back into his former, casual position once again.

_Na-neer, na-nee, neer_

The little boy's face suddenly brightened with recognition as the synthesizers blared the first few notes, his ice cream forgotten as he let the soggy stump of the cone fall between his legs, getting vanilla stains all over the crotch of his new khaki shorts. His breathing quickened; his hands trembled in anticipation.

This… was his dad's _favorite_ song.

And he knew what that meant.

The pulsating, resonant wails of the base and electric guitar came to life as Heero enabled the basexpander, causing the frantic, rebellious beats to vibrate through their bodies, rocking out their hearts with the entrance of the drums and their deafening shriek of… _danger…_

Still staring straight ahead, with his mouth set firm and seemingly aloof, the child's father appeared unfazed by the drastic decibel hike-- Save for his index finger that tapped against the steering wheel, keeping rhythm with the disembodied drummer.

Revvin' up your engine  
Listen to her howlin' roar

Liam's eyes were on his father, like a dog watching its owner dangle a fresh Snausage over its head. Intense. Darting. Attentive and ready for the signal, with a floppy tongue hanging over for the bait. His little finger began to tap, too-- In time with Heero's. He stepped on the gas, letting the engine growl and wheeze._  
  
Metal under tension  
Beggin' you to touch and go_

Five good whacks to the drums that made Liam shiver from the rippling undulations, and Heero's foot began to stomp to the frenzy of the raspy, shattering guitar, his finger still keeping time with honed precision. After a few extra beats of study, his head bobbing slightly, the child was able to pick-up his father's gestures: tapping his finger and waving his foot to the mania.

Tap-- Tap. Stomp-- Stomp.

Tap-- Tap. Stomp-- Stomp.

Highway to the Danger Zone 

Ride into the Danger Zone

Heero played the air keyboard, slamming the imaginary white and black slabs with exaction across the dashboard, his fingers thumping and flying in a passionate fit of syncopation-- Liam's hands rammed over the surface of the glove-compartment in the same, fervent manner of musical inspiration and pizzazz. His eyes occasionally darted over to his dad, to make sure he was doing it right.

Zing-- Zing. Zlang-- Zlang.

Headin' into twilight  
Spreadin' out her wings tonight 

The older man abruptly ceased his peripheral, metronome-like movements. Instead, he resorted to bobbing his head and rolling his shoulders to the funky synthesizer blurbs as the light turned green and he got the car moving again. Before the red glow had completely disappeared, the child was already a mirror of his father's rhythmical conduct. Except… the child looked more like a strutting goose than an engrossed listener, since he shoved his neck out a little _too_ far with each bob and lifted his shoulders just a _little_ too high when he rotated them. Even then, his eyes were glued to his father's every move._  
  
She got you jumpin' off the track  
And shovin' into overdrive  
Highway to the Danger Zone_

Heero's hips writhed and bucked off the seat with the guttural riff of the guitar, his teeth gritted in an almost zealous strain of release, while Liam… just seemed to get tangled in his seatbelt.

Swish-- Oof! Rustle-- Aack!

I'll take you  
Right into the Danger Zone 

There went that air keyboard again, with Liam rejoining him in their erratic sonata after a few more emancipatory maneuvers from the clutches of the safety-belt.

Zing-- Zing. Zlang-- Zlang.

You'll never say hello to you  
Until you get it on the red line overload 

Heero lurched his entire body from side to side with a dubious flare and come-hither, debonair swivel, stamping his feet and making mock changes with the gearshift. As Liam ravaged his tiny body with obscene and dizzying jerks, the boy noted a far-away glaze that began to settle over his father's eyes as the words echoed through the older one's mind and the hard rock staves seeped into his skin, shaking his gut and stroking his core with basal waves of oscillating, screaming fury_. The long-gone days of piloting Zero, with his body defying the absoluteness of gravity and the heat of the encroaching atmosphere that made the gundanium squeal in his ears_-- A smirk came to his lips._  
  
You'll never know what you can do  
Until you get it up as high as you can go_

Heero gunned it, while he and his son dueled with their newly-furbished set of air guitars, biting down on their lower lips as the riffs spiraled through the speakers and down into their toes. Oh how they bounced when they plucked those wild, sassy beats from the ethereal strings of their illusory instruments.__

Oh yeah…

Baarr-- Baar. Ba-ba-baarr-- Ba-ba-baarr.

Out along the edges  
Always where I burn to be 

Both took a breather from their musical delirium, and each simultaneously raked a hand through their sweaty, disheveled bangs. And it was at that particular moment when a certain braided someone happened to be walking down the street and noticed the alike pair, covered in perspiration and panting in counts._  
  
The further on the edge  
The hotter the intensity_

They licked their lips, tasting the delicious sweat of their finale-- And began head-banging and rapping their palms against the edges of the car. Swaying. Hunching. Bending. Contorting. All to the smack and shrill crash of the drums, throwing their hearts off-beat. In a maddened burst of exhilaration, they whipped their heads to the whines of the keyboards and wavering distortions of the synthesizers that made the hair on the backs of their necks stand erect.

Oblivious to the braided one racing down the sidewalk to keep up with them, and his face plastered with a dopey grin the entire way._  
  
Highway to the Danger Zone  
Gonna take you  
Right into the Danger Zone_

Tap-- Tap. Stomp-- Stomp.

Zing-- Zing. Zlang-- Zlang.

Swish-- Oof! Rustle-- Aack!

Bucking, tapping, writhing, tangling, banging, stomping, and a whole band of air instruments at their disposal-- All mixed with the laughter of a violet-eyed someone as he stopped his pursuit and hugged a light-post, gasping for breath. He saw all he needed to see._  
  
Highway to the Danger Zone_

_Right into the Danger Zone_

Their insanity began to subside, as their movements became less coordinated with the actual song, almost giddy, and the passion ebbed from their formerly boiling veins. The imaginary instruments were put back in their notional, airy cases, packed away in the backs of their minds for later use. Their feet slowed to an occasional, lazy tap here or there, while their fingers rested in limp heaps on their laps. Their necks stiffened, and Heero even reached a hand around to massage the dull ache that decided to suddenly make itself known.

But the speakers were still blasting them out.

_Highway to the Danger Zone_

_Gonna take you_

_Right into the Danger Zone_

As they pulled in front of the ESUN Conference Hall, Heero watched as Relena looked at him through frustrated eyes and moved with an indignant rigidity when she hopped into the passenger's seat. She raised her eyebrow, as if waiting for an explanation, and clicked the stereo off.

"What?"

"Heero," she began, sighing, "you shouldn't drive with the music that loud… especially with Liam in the car with you." She looked back at her son, smiling as she wiped away some of the congealed vanilla reside that still ringed his mouth. "What if there'd been a siren? Or you might get distracted--"

"Relena," he interrupted her, "I've piloted a gundam. I won't get distracted by a little music."

"Well…"

Riiinngg!

"Hold on a second, Heero. I've been waiting for Senator Cole's call all day." She flipped open her cell phone. "Hello."

"Hey there, Little Missy…"

__


End file.
